Homeless Heart
by btheleaf
Summary: I watched you play. I watched you grow. I watched you turn into a stronger fighter than I'd ever be. I watched you struggle, fall, and get right back up. I was always there—always. And somewhere down the road I fell for you. Damn if I didn't try. And now they're after us. But still we don't care. Because now you say you love me too. You love me and this homeless heart of mine.


_**◊Homeless Heart Of Mine◊**_

**Blanket disclaimer:**

_I do not own Inuyasha in any way shape or form. I just borrow him for a little while._

_..._

_Thinking _

"Talking."

**Demon thinking **

* * *

**Prologue. **

_Feudal Era Japan, 1543._

Late autumn wind swept through lose silver hair as he sat, back relaxed against the bark of the tree he'd perched himself in. The behemoth itself seemed to moan when another forceful breeze blustered through the clearing, knocking a few more reddening leaves down from its cradling boughs. Heavy golden eyes trailed a falling leaf dully, watching it spin, drift, and finally drop from sight.

Stretching and sighing, he placed two clawed hands behind his head in the form of a makeshift pillow, resting against the comfort of his fire-rat clothing. _Another year, _he mused silently, closing his gaze against the word, succumbing to the darkness hiding behind closed lids.

He supposed it was a good thing another year was passing, quiet faster then the previous year it might be noted. He snorted softly as the irksome memories resurfaced, one strange ear flicking agitatedly on his scalp.

Overall, the previous year had been a total disaster. He'd been chased all over the hillsides of the godforsaken country he found himself living in for the better part of it. Most of his aggressors being angry villagers. Not that he'd done anything outright to antagonize them, warranting the harsh treatment. But then again, he thought, simply being _alive _antagonized the village dwellers.

The second half wasn't much better, though it had been a slight improvement. Too holed up in their cozy huts were the villagers to come out and hunt him down when a nip had taken up residence in the air.

The said couldn't be said for himself, however. When the later months had come he'd nearly frozen to death by the strangely temperamental winter when it struck. It was by chance that he'd found himself an unoccupied cave where he'd holed up, waiting out the weather until spring.

A shriek suddenly had him alert, large eyes widening, pupils dilating. He cocked his head in vague interest. Taking a light sniff, he leaned slightly away from his napping place to rake in the scenery.

The clearing laid out before him was perfectly calm, rusty colored trees untouched save for the occasional gust of wind. Birds sang their happy songs from the treetops; a bunny had taken to nibbling on a patch of grass nearby. It was serene, tranquil even. A perfect spot for an outcast on the run.

Another scream. Well, it _had _been tranquil.

With a barely veiled grunt of annoyance, he balanced deftly on the tips of his bare feet, kneeled on the wide girth of the branch before gracefully taking off in the direction of the call, using the grassy ground as his path.

_Stupid humans, _he thought, shooting through the foliage. _Always managing to find trouble._

They were human alright, if their human stench was any indication. He inhaled again, slightly changing his course until he'd locked in on the scent.

Now he wasn't usually one to do this sort of thing. Helping? Humans? Him? They could rot in hell for all he cared. Years and years of abuse from such creatures had turned him off to the whole "mortal" thing. Yet, for some unknown reason, he felt..charitable today. Which was saying something.

Perhaps it was the spicy autumn scent in the air that drove him, or the wonderful _crunching _noise of fallen and deadening leaves made underfoot. Either way he pushed on, spotting the end of the forest up ahead.

A flickering of colors flashed between the trees, sky blue, inky black that immediately had him coming to a screeching halt on the very edge of the tree-line, chest rising and falling regularly, not even the slightest bit exerted from the quick sprint. Yet his heart had suddenly begun to pound, strangely enough.

The scene before him, though unknowing to it at the time, would forever change the course of his life.

_Kids, _he mentally groused.

And they were, a dozen or so, ages ranging anywhere from seven to twelve, all running around in a large, open field. A small village was nestled pleasantly behind the quaint scene, a river flowing right through the small rural buildings. Villagers tended to their crops, hastened to get the job done before the earth froze over and they were plunged into a snowy wasteland.

While they worked their offspring ran gleefully, squealing in delight and happiness.

_Happy, _he scowled at his own stupidity and began to softly beat his forehead into the bark of a tree. _The shriek had been a squeal of happiness._

Slipping into the shadows of the tree, he tilted his head and scrutinized the little runts play what looked to be some kind of catching game. The object of the game seemed to be that two older looking boys—apparently the head of the giggly group— guarded a small swath of red cloth sitting some odd feet behind them. The rest of the kids, from what he gathered rather quickly, needed to get past them and capture that cloth in order to win.

The catch? Don't get "caught" by the two boys. Already three kids sat off to the side watching just as he was—out.

Not really noticing himself becoming wrapped up in their activity, _human _activity, he watched with growing interest, leaning his side against the tree, crossing his arms and observed from a quiet distance.

By this point the two boys had corralled the remaining players, skillfully capturing the kids until only three remained; two boys and one small girl. The two main boys began to stalk, or what he thought was a poor imitation of stalking. The other boys, now on the offensive, went for the more brazen approach: barrel past them and hope that they'd make it through.

He shook his head at the decision, mouth thinning. _Idiots._

Just as he'd suspected, the plan failed beautifully and all four boys ended up on the ground, rolling around like restless pups. And then—a flash of blue, the accompanying sound of an excited squawk. He straightened from his slightly slouching position, ears pricking interestedly at the giddy sound.

And he knew suddenly without any doubts as he zeroed in all his attention on the smaller figure taking the opening and running for the cloth. It had been her that he'd heard earlier. He had raced through the forest. _For her._

No more then nine, the young girl wore a blue yukata, slightly dirty. From rolling around on the ground with her noticeably dirty counterparts no doubt. Obsidian hair fell underneath her shoulder blades and was down, whipping behind her like raven feathers as she charged full force, tiny expression screwed into determination, towards the red cloth.

_I'll be damned, _he though with a slightly impressed snort, watching as she snatched the cloth like a little thief, held it over her head in a tiny fist with triumph, declaring the game over and her the victor.

All the kids sitting on the sidelines ran, laughing and giggling and smiling. They surrounded her, seemed to even congratulate her in a way he'd never before seen children do. _  
_

A sudden pang of unexpected jealously flashed through his chest at the sight. How, he wondered enviously, did that human girl, so much weaker and pathetic than him, get so many…friends. Why hadn't he had any when he'd been a child?

The question was rhetorical of course, as the answer always followed him wherever he went.

Hanyou had no place in the world; abominations, curs—the offspring of one human and one demon. When the blood of such different species mixed it creates a powerful wrongness. In most cases, the combination made an unbearably disgusting, impersonation of a humanoid form. A half-breed, the most popular term for what he just happened to be.

He felt his ears twitch and with a grunt at the suddenly bitter distaste in his mouth, turned from the pack of children and began back towards his new favorite napping tree. He'd seen enough. There was no reason to stay

The forest was quiet as he continued at a lazy stroll. The feel of the crisp breeze through his long hair made him almost purr with contentment. The nearby pitter-pater of a rabbits heartbeat made him suddenly remember he needed to hunt. And soon. The night of the new moon was fast approaching and it was essential that he had all the energy he could store before that occurred.

_Snap._

The air deadened. He swiveled defensively at the sharp sound of a breaking twig, claws already cocked at the ready, leg muscles bunched in anticipation of a fight. Amber eyes swung to survey his surroundings, but the shadowed forest was deceptively silent.

"Hey," He snarled, his voice like a whip cracking into the quiet air. "Quit hiding and come on out if you wanna fight. No need in trailing me, though your tracking skills are terrible. Hell," he gnashed his fangs sarcastically when no response came,"a stampede of elephants is quieter."

Silence. Deceivingly too noiseless. Noiseless, other than the sound of a speeding heart. And it wasn't his.

A bush with fruitful berries suddenly rustled off to his right and he crouched towards it, all too ready to spring if need be.

Most likely a damn pack of humans. His thoughts raced through the last few minuets. Had he been to obvious? Had they seen him watching the children?_They're probably here to hunt me down. Bastards._

That was not what happened next, however. There were no pitchforks, no mobs, no hateful words spilled at him as they tried to eradicate _the beast _from the area. Instead, a small, pale hand suddenly shot out of the foliage, dirty and trembling, palm flashed openly in terrified surrender. One singe eyebrow of his rose in both curiosity and apprehension.

"P-please," a tiny voice bleated from behind the berries. "I'm sorry. I…I was just curious."

He sat, taken back at the turn of events, head tilting in an almost ironic cat-like way. "Curious? What the hell would you be curious about?"

He thought he saw a flash of blue/grey through the green leaves, the same striking color that had rendered him immobile earlier and he leaned froward on the balls of his feet to get a better view. But whatever, or _whoever _it was scrambled backward into the thickest part of the hiding spot when he tried.

There was a pause, almost guilty in nature, before the almost inaudible peep of, "I dunno."

He wet his mouth, taking a deep breath as the silence reigned once again. Then he stood, swiping his claws on his billowing hakama before turning to leave. "Keh. Pathetic."

There was no danger here and no chance of a fight, though he was oddly itching for a good reason to haul off and punch something. Still, whoever remained hidden was obviously too petrified to do much else besides hide.

Leaves rustling, stomping feet. "P-pathetic? Who's pathetic you big bully?"

He turned, only just an incline of his head to glance over his shoulder at…nothing. The small glade he now stood in was absolutely clear, save for himself.

His face crumpled, perplexed. "Hello?"

"Down here!" The voice shouted and he did as it brazenly demanded, finding himself face-to-face (theoretically) with that same color combination. Cobalt blue swirling in the depths of steely grey.

In that instant, he saw galaxies in her eyes.

She was so small, exceedingly noticeable compared to his six-foot stature. Yet her size didn't seem to hinder her in anyway. Eyes blazing, hands on her hips, hair matted from her earlier tussle with her playmates in the field, she stood tall, proud, chin lifted defiantly though her voice had shook in fear only moments before.

The girl, who'd won the little game earlier by using cunning wit, quirked her mouth off the side, effectively wrinkling her nose. "You don't need to be so mean."

For some reason (one he would question more than once in years to come) her voice, small-scale though it was, made him feel like a dog being whopped on the nose. Those traitorous ears of his leant back to meet his skull, mouth thinning shamefully. But he wouldn't take being spoken to like this by a mere _child, _oh no. He wouldn't stand for it.

"Listen kid," he grit out, golden eyes narrowing with mutiny. "I don't know what the hell you're problem is or why you're following me, but why don't you get outta' here before this turns nasty. Run on home to your mommy. Alright?"

She almost seemed to scoff at the threat, squaring her shoulders with a toss of her smooth hair. "I'm not scared of you."

His hands curled, claws digging into palmy flesh as his muscles clenched. _Snobby little git._

He leaned down, got real close to her face and finally, finally, saw a bit of real dread enter her eyes. "You should be," he growled out lowly.

This close up her eyes appeared like the nebula of many powerful galaxies, swirling with colors that truly moved him. How he'd never before seen such eyes. And the fear suddenly mixed in them made him feel more like an ass than he ever had before.

**_Don't go scaring a little girl now_**.

Noticeably twitching as his demon made a sudden–and unwanted—appearance, he leaned backwards, allowing her some breathing room.

"W-well I'm not," she responded shakily, eyeballing his claws.

"Feh," he coughed smugly. "You're scared shitless."

"And you cuss a lot."

"And you're annoying."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"_Are too!"_

_"AM NOT!"_

Fully leaning away from her (as they had inched closer and closer in rage until their noses nearly brushed, teeth grinding and tempers flaring equally) he stood and turned away from her to stew in his annoyance. What a truly annoying little human child! How did her parents deal with such brass insolence?

The girl suddenly shuffled her feet, not really caring at his anger or unknowing to it entirely. "Why were you hiding when we we're playing?"

He blinked, doing an about face. "What?"

She stood unabashed as most children do, eyes owlishly wide and honestly curious. "Why didn't you come out to play with us earlier? I saw you hiding behind the trees but you didn't come over and play. Why?"

He spluttered, folded his muscled arms into the swollen sleeves of his kimono, sniffing defensively to cover up his chagrin. He'd been found out and damn if that didn't make him feel fidgety. "I ain't got no idea what you're talkin' about."

She frowned, the heavy expression out of place when used by her tiny features. "But…but I saw you!"

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did too."

And they were at it again.

"Did not.

"Did to!"

"Did _not_!"

_"Did to!"_

He groaned in utter agitation. "Listen, _brat. _This has been a helluva good time but I gatta' go. And so do you."

She blinked her large eyes up at him, actually having to look _up _to see all of him. "I do?"

"_Yes,_" he ground out through clenched molars, withdrawing his hands to rub the calloused pads of his fingers in soothing circles around his temples. This girl was impossible.

"Why?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to evade an oncoming headache. "Because."

"Because why?"

He tossed his hands up in the air, ignoring how she flinched at the gleam of his deadly claws. "Because I said so. Now…now just go on home and leave me in peace." He tried again with a stern nod of his head.

He wondered, idly, why he hadn't done just that yet; leave. Why not just turn and go? Why did he have an odd sense to…stay? And with her, this puny human no less. Albeit they would no doubt bicker (and oddly enough he was getting some weird kick at seeing her so flustered) but he wanted…wanted to just be near her. Protect her, for some insane reason, as his instincts were strangely urging him to.

_Asinine instincts, _the demon mused snarly. _Got their heads up their asses today. First they tell me to go running after some anonymous scream and now look where thats gotten me!_

"Well if I do leave…will," she lowered her head, staring shyly up at him through her bangs, a lopsided grin on her face. "Will I see you against tomorrow?"

He scoffed outright. Was the child ill? "Hell n-…" he paused, seeing her suddenly shrink down, shoulder slumping in dejection. The responding negative died on his lips.

_What did I do? Whats her problem? Surely she wouldn't want to see _me _again, right? Who'd want to chat with a hanyou? She should be running away screaming, not damn well asking if we'll meet again!_

She started sniffing, as if fighting off tears. Head still lowered, she had begun to shuffle her bare foot into the grass. She did, apparently.

Dark brows drawn together, lips pressed, he began again. "Not likely. I have to keep moving. I need to, uh...hunt and this isn't a very good area for it. You can probably thank your parents for that; poaching all the damn game thats worth killin'."

Uncertain, she lifted her head, eyes watery. "So maybe…maybe someday?"

He swallowed at the sight of those unshed tears and tried to remember just who it is he was. He was a half-demon. He was rough around more than just his edges. He was tough. He was proud. He was skilled and had somehow beaten all the odds and survived this long. He was definitely not a lapdog to a small child.

Those tears just looked sadder on her because her eyes were just so damn big, seemingly too large for her faces frame. The sad eyes, quivering lip and over all pathetic _humanness _of her. Yea, that was it. It had nothing to do with the way he was oddly feeling about the kid. No, no not all.

But instead of telling her all this, how insane she was for even keeping up a conversation with him for this long, he gulped around the large lump that suddenly appeared in his throat and uttered a wavering, "S-sure."

_The hell was that!? _he raged internally.

Immediately, she beamed at the answer, bright as the morning sun and just as blinding. "I'm glad."

"Yeah well," he muttered, looking anywhere other than her.

The sound of someone calling reached both of their ears, her ears perking in a similar fashion to his. "…gome!" the call came again, persistent.

"I gatta' go," she murmured quickly, already retreating.

He cleared his throat, still staring off at some point over her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, just go. Get outta' here," he flapped a shooing hand at her and she giggled childishly.

She parted some bushes, rushing in the direction of the clearing. Reaching the very edge of the tree-line, the girl paused, turning to look at him halfway over her shoulder. He immediately glanced away, not like he was watching her go or anything.

"I'm Kagome," the young girl smiled, showing off a grin. A tooth was noticeably missing from the left side.

His heart did another weird jolt, and he scrubbed at the spot absently with his fingertips. Heartburn? he wondered. Did demons even get heartburn? The notion must've been and because surely he experiencing it. What else could it have been?

"Inuyasha," the half-demon breathed as by way of introduction.

The girl—Kagome—simply laughed and waved, a little childish thing with her petite fingers and finally ducked out into the wide field, running freely towards what Inuyasha assumed was her hut, leaving him to ponder the encounter for the passing months to come.

That was the day a young girl met a half-demon boy and smiled at him genuinely. That was the day two destines clashed and intertwined like the ever-eternal threads of fate. Two worlds—one wholly different from the other—collided. That was the day their lives truly began.

* * *

**Thinking of changing the description. I'm not that pleased with it. But it's all I could think of at the moment. Also, this is more of a prologue than an actual chapter. I usually write much more but I wanted this first encounter short and sweet. Hoped you liked. Please do a girl a solid and review! Thnx, **

**-TheBreeze**


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